Egress
by Chumpy
Summary: A picture speaks a thousand words


Title: Egress  
Author: chumpy  
Rating: PG  
Content: CLOIS  
Spoilers: ummmmm I don't think there are any  
Disclaimer: No intentional infringement , and definitely no profit is being made.  
Distribution: Forever Devoted 2 Clois, Kryptonsite, DTS……anyone else drop me a line first

Notes: This is a standalone! No cliff-hangers……….no TBCs ……. NADA!

Special Thanks- To Marcy for inspiring me with her awesome vid "Faded Dress" and always being ready to beta at a moments notice. Also for coming through as always with an AWESOME title. Nadia – for being a well oiled machine with her stories and inspiring others to write.

"Clark Kent!" his name rang out loud and clear through the speakers littering the field of Smallville High. He stood up and smiled as cheers from his classmates rose up from the chairs in front of the stage.

He laughed as he noticed Chloe pump her fist in the air and begin whooping at him playfully. He smiled as he noticed his parents stand up proudly and cheer. To his surprise Lois rose from a chair next to his mother with a huge grin on her face clapping along with the rest of the crowd. Their eyes locked for a moment and he noticed her grin change into something, which he could only describe as fiendish.

"WOOH! Yeah! Smallville!" she cheered and suddenly an ear-piercing catcall reached his ears as Lois stuck two fingers in her mouth and whistled enthusiastically. His parents laughed along with her at the expression that crossed his face. The rest of the spectators laughed a bit at his reaction to the whistles.

Clark rolled his eyes in her direction as she continued clapping with a satisfied smirk on her face.

As Clark crossed the stage and was handed his diploma, the principal gripped his hand in a firm handshake.

"Congratulations son. You have a bright future ahead of you"

"Thank you sir," Clark grinned.

Once again a shrill whistle was heard from the audience. He glanced out into the crowd and saw Chloe laughing while glancing back at her older cousin from her seat with the other graduates. Chloe started waving her arms up in the air in an attempt to raise the level of cheering from her classmates. It seemed that the two of them were trying to egg the crowd on. Independently they were women you should never underestimate, but together…well who knew what they were capable of. A truly terrifying thought.

Clark gave one final smile and waved his diploma in the air before slipping off the stage and taking his seat next to Chloe who was still laughing.

"Sorry, she's been planning on doing something like that for weeks."

"Of course, anything to embarrass me I guess."

"Well you're just lucky she decided not to yell what she said to me earlier."

Clark looked at her uneasily, "And that would be?"

Chloe turned to him and smiled, "You really don't want to know, trust me on this."

Clark cringed and nodded his head, "That bad huh?"

"You have no idea."

After the graduation officially ended Clark found himself engulfed in a large hug from both his parents.

"Oh honey, we are so proud of both of you."

Chloe looked over and grinned at Clark.

"Congrats cous!" Lois beamed as she enthusiastically hugged Chloe. "Oh you too Smallville." And as expected punched him in his arm, which had for some odd reason become her sign of affection towards him.

"Ok photo op for all college bound students!" Lois laughed as she grabbed her camera and pushed Chloe and Clark together.

"You heard the women Chloe." Clark grinned and swatted her with his diploma.

"Watch it Kent." She glared before whacking him back with her own diploma.

They both looked up when they heard the click of the camera.

"Oh, definitely a keeper." Lois grinned.

Martha came up next to Lois. "Go stand with them honey."

"No this is their day…besides which, never been a fan of the photo op."

Chloe stomped over and grabbed Lois's arm.

"Picture...you…now!" she said dragging a reluctant Lois back over to where she and Clark had been standing moments before. Chloe grabbed the camera from Lois's hand and ran it back over to Martha. "Use this one too, Mrs. Kent."

The three of them stood together while she snapped pictures of the special day.

"Oh! I'll be right back! There's Mrs. Pratt, I need to go thank her for helping me with my letters of recommendation for school!" And with that said Chloe trotted off.

"Ok you two move closer together," Martha said with the camera positioned in front of her face.

"Mrs. Kent, I think we got enough photos of the day don't you think?"

"No, there is no such thing as 'enough' Lois…now come on you two, move it. You'll thank me for this years from now." Both Clark and Lois looked at each other oddly, and then back at Martha. "I mean you only graduate from high school once right?" Martha finished quickly.

Lois and Clark both looked at each other and shrugged before taking a few steps closer to one another. Neither of them noticed the little chuckle that Martha hid behind the camera as the scene came into focus.

§§§§

The day that Clark had been looking forward to for so long had finally arrived. But now as he stood in the airport and looked upon the faces staring back at him, he started to regret his decision to leave Smallville in search of answers to questions he didn't even know.

He watched his mother who was busy wiping away her tears with his father's handkerchief while he hugged her with one arm, giving her an encouraging squeeze every now and then. Chloe too sniffled a bit as she stood next to Lois who looked surprisingly apathetic to her surroundings.

"Oh come on guys its not like he's going off to save the world or something. He'll be back soon."

Clark's parents smiled and glanced over at Chloe who in turn was smiling up at Clark. Clark shook his head and a "don't start" look crossed his features briefly.

"Oh god, Chlo don't tell me your joining in on their non-verbals. I swear this family should come with it's own interpreter."

Jonathan Kent was the first one to step up to his son.

"You be careful son, and don't forget to call your mother." He embraced his son and cleared his throat stepping back so an anxious Martha Kent could reach her son.

"I hope you find what you're looking for," she hugged him tightly. "Because we did…the day we found you"

Clark closed his eyes and hugged his mom back tightly.

"Thank you," he whispered. "I'll be back soon, I promise. This is just something I need to do." He pulled back from her and kissed her on the cheek.

He turned to look at Lois and Chloe.

"Well…" he started.

"Have a good trip Farmboy," Lois said quickly as she walked up to him. She suddenly stopped as if considering something and then took another step forward and gave him a quick hug. She stepped back and ran a hand through her hair. "Ok I'm going to give you guys some family time…I'll wait out by the car."

She turned and walked off quickly, as Clark watched her disappear around the corner.

Chloe turned to him and took his hand.

"I'll miss you Clark, you've been my best friend for so long. Come back to us soon." She reached up and gave him a hug making him hunch down a bit as she clung to his neck. She craned her neck so that her mouth was next to his ear.

"It's when she seems the most apathetic that she cares the most," she whispered. "It just seems like everyone is always leaving her."

Clark looked at her in confusion, but she only gave him a sad smile as she slipped an envelope into his hand. "Open this once you're on the plane."

Clark nodded and lifted up his backpack looking back once more at his parents and Chloe. He gave them a sad smile and then turned and walked resolutely down the hallway.

When he finally took his seat he felt the envelope crinkle inside his pocket. He reached inside his pocket and pulled out the plain envelope with his name scrawled across the top of it. He opened it slowly and reached inside to pull out a note that Chloe had left him.

_Dear Clark,_

_I thought you should have this…perhaps it will help you find whatever it is that you are looking for. _

_Love,_

_Chloe_

Clark reached back into the envelope and pulled out a picture from the graduation ceremony a few days earlier. He was surprised that it wasn't one of the other numerous photographs that had been taken that day of him with his parents or of he and Chloe playfully hitting each other with their diplomas. It was one of just him and Lois looking at each other. He remembered the incident well.

_"I don't know how you're ever going to survive without me," Lois teased._

_"I remember you saying something like that early on it our relationship."_

_Lois grinned and her eyebrows rose up slightly, "And apparently it made an impression, since you remember it so well…and since when do we have a relationship?" she jokingly replied._

They had both glared at each other as he remembered the flash going off in the background. Although as he looked at the photo, it hardly looked like a glare at all. Lois's hand was placed lightly on his forearm and she was grinning up at him with a playful look in her eyes. Clark was surprised to see that he too had a small grin on he face, and was leaning in closer than he had realized at the time. They both actually looked…happy.

Clark turned over the picture and was about to put it back safely in the envelope when he noticed the small feminine handwriting that was distinctively Chloe's.

_"If it couldn't be me, I'm glad it's her."_

Momentarily stunned he turned the photograph over again and his fingers traced its glossy finish. That was probably the last thing he had expected Chloe to ever say to him. As he stared at the photo, a vision of Lana suddenly invaded his thoughts.

_"The best ones always start that way…"_

As he looked down again at the photo he realized that although he may have been blind, apparently Chloe wasn't…and neither was the camera that day at graduation. There it was staring him straight in the face. No wonder his mother had been so insistent on getting a photo of the two of them. He suddenly felt utterly confused, and yet strangely at peace with himself.

He was shaken out of his reverie by an annoying ring from his cell phone. Other passengers sitting close to him shook their heads at him indicating that he should have turned off his phone before boarding the plane. He grinned sheepishly at them as he fished the offending item out of his pocket.

He smiled when he saw the name on the screen, Lois. He flipped his phone open and didn't even have a chance to say hello before she broke out into her typical rant.

"Hey Smallville, didn't anyone ever tell you to turn off your cell phone when on an airplane?"

"If they are supposed to be off, then why are you calling me?" he whispered into the phone.

"Because I can." She stated simply.

He shook his head at her in disbelief.

"Don't shake your head at me Farmboy"

Clark's head shot up. "I wasn't-"

"Look out the window Clark."

Clark glanced through the small window to his left and noticed Lois standing up against a window in the terminal across from him. She gave him a small wave. He noticed Chloe move in to stand next to her. She too waved at him.

"But…how did you two get into the international terminal? That's not allowed."

"Yeah well, I convinced the security guar-" the rest was a jumble of words as he heard Chloe interrupting in the background.

"Convinced! You-"

"Ok so maybe I went a little overboard, but it worked didn't it?" he heard Lois say to Chloe.

"Never underestimate the women in our family Clark!" he heard Chloe yell out in the background.

"Don't worry I won't," he laughed. He wouldn't make that mistake twice.

"You bet he won't."

Clark could almost hear the smirk that he was sure was on her face at this moment.

"So why are you guys calling me anyway? I don't think you called to make sure that I turned my phone off."

"Well we wanted to wish you a good flight, and I wanted to personally let you know that Chloe and I will be checking in on your parents for you."

Clark was slightly shocked but smiled at the sentiment. Lois had become quite close with his parents during her stay with them. "Thanks Lois, I appreciate it. I know they would too. They think a lot of you…you do know that right?"

Lois paused before answering, "Yeah they are amazing people." An awkward silence stretched out between them.

Clark then noticed a very determined looking stewardess making a beeline down the aisle towards him. "Look, I gotta go, a stewardess is giving me the evil eye."

"Ok…." he heard her pause for a moment. "Hey Smallville."

"Yeah?"

"Enjoy the picture."

Clark looked out the window again and noticed that Chloe had wandered off into the background and was sitting in one of the chairs up against the wall.

"How did you know about the picture?"

He saw Lois look down at her shoes and then back up at him.

"It was my camera." She stated simply.

He watched as she slowly took the phone away from her ear and snapped it closed. They stared at each other through the window until Clark felt the plane slowly start to roll away. He craned his neck and watched as she turned and started to walk over to Chloe. Moments before the plane lifted off the ground his hearing picked up her soft whisper from inside the airport.

"See ya around," she paused for a moment, "Clark."

END


End file.
